4.3-VAX distributions

[Michael Sokolov]

   Steven M. Schultz <sms at moe.2bsd.com> writes:
> All caps?  Must be using a V(erbose)M(essage)S(system) confuser - didn't
> know there were any left :-) :-)
   
   I'm sure you know that domain names are case-insensitive. Also note that
in the InterNIC records everything is all uppercase. As far as the mail
user names go, they CAN be case-sensitive, but most OSes, even UNIX
(Sendmail), try to be on the safe side and ignore the case in this context.
   
> the base 4.3 system up to and including Tahoe couldn't be cold started
> on a KA630 (much less a 650 since that didn't exist yet ;)).  You _had_
> to have the Ultrix 'boot' bits&pieces to work with.  The 4.3 kernel
> had uVax support in it but the boot stuff did not.
>
> With 4.3-Reno that changed but...  As others have noticed the
> cold start kit didn't create tapes suitable for a uVax.
   
   This change occurred in Tahoe, NOT in Reno. Trust me. If you don't, look
at /usr/home/msokolov/43tahoe.cci/srcsys.tar.gz and see for yourself.
   
> 4.3-Reno did have disklabels (the first 4.3BSD to do so) BUT the
> standalone programs still had compiled in partitions.
   
   The disk label support first appears in Tahoe. Again, if you don't
believe me, look at /usr/home/msokolov/43tahoe.cci.
   
> At the time 4.3-Reno came out Ultrix was still a warmed over 4.2BSD [...]
   
   Ultrix v4.00, which I used to run on my main production VAX when my farm
was on the net, has _ALL_ enhancements from 4.3BSD (including DNS and DBM
passwd files) and most enhancements from Tahoe (including MX record support
in Sendmail). Its disk label mechanism is rumored to be incompatible with
Tahoe's, though (haven't had a chance to test this for myself).
   
> [...] that DEC had corrupted
> with System V(anilla) bolted on contamination.
   
   Here I agree wholeheartedly! But hey, just ignore all SysVile and DEC
additions and pretend it's 4.3BSD! That's what I did.
   
> 4.3-Reno was a transitional experiment that happened just as the CSRG
> and DEC had a serious falling out - and DEC support (Vaxen) vanished
> at that point.  Any further work (4.4BSD) totally and completely
> ignored all DEC machines.
   
   This pulled the thread that was holding everything together. Reno was
the beginning of the destructive process that eventually and inevitably led
to the disbanding of CSRG. Reno is the beginning of the end. One of the
main reasons I don't do Reno.
   
> Yep - you get NFS (which no 4BSD had prior to Reno).
   
   True. I will have to hack NFS into Quasijarus somehow at some point.
This is not for Quasijarus1, though.
   
   Sincerely,
   Michael Sokolov
   Phone: 440-449-0299 (Home) 216-217-2579 (Cellular)
   ARPA Internet SMTP mail: mxs46 at k2.scl.cwru.edu

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